THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 25, 1995 TAG: 9501250578
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines
Some folks in the Winston Cup series will tell you that January test speeds at Daytona International Speedway are irrelevant.
You can't believe the preseason speeds, according to conventional wisdom, because the teams trick up their cars to make a good impression with sponsors.
But the January reports are, in fact, becoming an increasingly reliable barometer of what to expect.
Two years ago, Kyle Petty was among the fastest drivers in preseason practice. He went on to win the Daytona 500 pole.
Last year, the speed leaders were Sterling Marlin and Ernie Irvan. They were the fastest in February, too, with Marlin winning the race.
This year, the speed leaders include Dale Jarrett, in the No. 28 Ford driven a year ago by Irvan, and Chevrolet drivers Marlin, Jeff Gordon and Robert Pressley. Don't be surprised if these four are among the quickest next month.
On Tuesday, the five fastest drivers were Marlin at 192.431 mph, Michael Waltrip at 192.308, Gordon at 191.939, Terry Labonte at 191.775 and Pressley at 191.652.
Still, there are sharply divided opinions about the reliability of the January speeds.
Don't believe them, Richard Petty said Tuesday during the second day of the final three-day session for General Motors cars.
``You've got to wait until we all come back and go through inspection and put all the cars in the same place at the same time with the same situation,'' he said. ``Some of the practice days here are good-weather days and some are bad days.''
Said Ford driver Rick Mast: ``There's speeds going around that I know for a fact are bogus.
``The problem with Daytona in the winter is there ain't nothin' going on and all the writers don't have anything to write about. Those speeds get a lot of coverage, and it gets back to corporate America. And if you can show that your car went fast, it makes them feel good for a couple of months.''
But Pressley said team owner Leo Jackson ``doesn't do that kind of stuff. He doesn't have to impress (sponsor) Skoal. If anything, we've got a little bit left.''
And Larry McClure, co-owner of Marlin's car, said there is a disadvantage to being one of the fastest teams because they get ``looked at a little harder (by NASCAR) if they do run faster.''
The daily speeds are compiled by employees in the track's public relations department, who get them from a variety of sources.
One of the key sources has been trackside firemen, who sit in the pits and hand-time laps with stopwatches. Although the reliability might seem questionable, the firemen have spent many years timing laps and have become quite good at it.
``A lot of these speeds are run with (illegal) combinations, but the teams are not trying to fool anybody, they're just trying to gain information for themselves,'' said Ford driver Ricky Rudd.
Teams will use an illegal air-cleaner setup to establish a baseline to measure the efficiency of the flow of air into the cleaner, he said. And teams sometimes will run a slightly oversized carburetor restrictor plate because they have a more powerful engine they're saving for February.
``They'll put a big plate on because the're trying to duplicate that extra horsepower,'' Rudd said.
And, of course, they may run illegally because they need a sponsor and ``it might give them a negotiating tool,'' Rudd said.
Said Terry Labonte: ``You can believe some of the speeds, but there will be a few of them that won't be right.''
DARLINGTON'S NEW LOOK: Rudd , a former winner at Darlington International Raceway, says the track's recent paving job will make for better racing.
Rudd tested his Ford Thunderbird on the new surface Tuesday and said most drivers will be pleased with the results.
``You'll definitely see better racing here in March, a lot more side-by-side racing in the corners,'' said Rudd, who ran laps of 163 mph in practice. ``I just can't wait to have some other guys to race against.''
NEMECHEK SPONSOR? Chevy driver Joe Nemechek, who is fielding his own team this year, has scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. today, reportedly to announce he has secured Burger King as a sponsor. by CNB